The Senate has commenced an investigation over the 17 slain army officers and soldiers at Okuama community in Delta State, a situation that has spurned tension, anxiety and fear in the Niger Delta region. The Senate Joint Committee on Defence, Army, Navy and Air Force commenced the investigation with a closed-door meeting with the nation’s Service Chiefs. The meeting had in attendance the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa; Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja; Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan, and Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla. The Senate during plenary on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, mandated the joint committee to investigate the incident.
The upper chamber also urged the Federal Government to ensure that those responsible for the heinous crime are identified, apprehended, and brought to justice. The Joint Committee is chaired by Senator Ahmad Lawan, who is also chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence. Speaking on the incident, Senator Lawan further underscored the need for the Federal Government to prioritize the issue of security, noting that it takes precedence over investment in any other sector. He described the killing of the 16 soldiers as “barbaric”, and appealed to Nigerians to support the Armed Forces by volunteering information that would lead to the capture and prosecution of those behind various forms of insecurity across the country.
